The Wedding
by Carabayby
Summary: June and Neil's wedding. Fluff with LilyxZach. One-shot.


June looked the happiest I'd ever seen her. She wore the hat Lunelle had made for her, dark blue with a veil and giant white roses surrounding the brim. Her white wrap dress hugged her body, and in her hands she held a bouquet of Carolina jasmine and lemon balm picked fresh from the side of the house. Her face was lit up like it was made of diamonds, and she was standing in full daylight. A tear escaped her when she spoke with August before the ceremony.

"May should be here," she said, holding back the rest of her tears. The Daughters of Mary had done her make up for her, and they told her if she ruined it by crying, they would stop the wedding to fix it. June didn't want to wait any longer than she had to.

August took her in her arms and stroked her neck. "She is here." June clung to her like a leaf in the wind, terrified but determined. She breathed deeply to keep her pain down. After a few moments, her strangle-hold loosened.

Laughing shakily, she stood back and looked at her sister. "I love you, August."

"I love you too." She smiled warmly and patted her cheek. "Neil is waiting for you. Go on."

June nodded, then looked to me. "Are you ready?"

I smiled at her. "Of course."

That day was the most beautiful I've felt. August went into town with me to get some jewelry a week before. I picked out a silvery bracelet with a heart charm and matching stud earrings. Violet helped me sew a dress, bright red and falling just above my knees with spaghetti straps. It was such a nice day that Neil and May decided that everyone would be barefoot for the wedding, so sadly, I didn't get to wear my black sandals. But as I led June out down the yard towards her future husband, feeling the grass curl under my feet and around my toes was the most relaxing and invigorating sensation.

And then there was Zach standing beside Neil. He wore a button down light blue shirt rolled up to his elbows and khaki pants rolled up above his ankles. Sweat stained his armpits, but it didn't make him look any less handsome. He caught me looking at him and winked. "You're red," he mouthed. Whether he meant my dress or my face, I wasn't sure.

I took my place behind June, who handed me her bouquet. The scent attacked my nostrils, making me feel woozy. Refusing to pass out twice within a few months, I lowered the flowers to hip height.

The ceremony itself took all of twenty minutes. June and Neil exchanged vows, saying they loved each other so much and they never wanted to be apart and nothing could stop them from being together. Then they kissed and The Daughters of Mary cheered and whooped, while Otis smiled and clapped.

"Bouquet! Bouquet!" Queenie and Sugar-Girl called.

June pushed me towards the other women. "Go!"

I walked over and joined them, standing towards the back. Most of the women were married, except August and Rosaleen, and they didn't want to get married, so I wasn't really sure why they were continuing the tradition.

June turned her back to us and tossed the bouquet over her head. It came at us, drawing circles in the air, until it passed through the hands of the women in front of me, whacked me in the face and fell to the ground. Violet and Cressie laughed, "Poor girl." Cressie picked up the bouquet and handed it to me. "It was too enthusiastic for you," she said, grinning at me.

"Well we all know who she's thinkin' about," said Rosaleen.

If Zach had meant my face was red before, it sure was now. All the Daughters started laughing and hooting, singing "Lily and Zach, sittin' in a tree..." I was about to cover my face, but I laughed with them instead. When I looked to Zach, he was laughing too, until he turned and whispered to the chaplain.

August looked at him, her face all scrunched up in suspicion. She called out, "Zachary Lincoln Taylor, just what are you doing?"

The chaplain looked at Zach uncertainly.

"It isn't real, sir. Just a pretend one, until we're old enough and it's legal."

I knew exactly what he was doing, and I wanted it to happen. Apparently everyone else did too, because they started pushing me forward. My feet slid over the grass. I might have been floating. It was all fake, of course, but that didn't bother me any. I was getting "married" to Zach. Something churned in my stomach, then set itself aflame. "Until we're old enough and it's legal," he'd said. Was he serious about this?

Then I was standing next to him, my face still matching my dress. He bent to one knee and looked up at me. It was so awkward, knowing all the Daughters were watching two kids with a crush play at getting married. What is August thinking, I wondered. But this was only going to happen once-twice if we ever really got married, so I smiled down at him like an idiot. "Lily Owens," he said, "Will you pretend-marry me?"

"Pretend-yes."

He smiled and stood up, taking me by the arm and leading me to the chaplain.

Coughing, he wiped at his face and looked between the two of us. "Zach Taylor, do you take Lily Owens to be your pretend-wife?"

"Yessir!" He grinned at me. "I'll make a great fake-husband."

"Lily Owens, do you take Zach Taylor to be your pretend-husband?"

I smiled at the two of them. "I do."

"Then by the powers vested in me that cannot legally marry you, I now pronounce you to be pretend-spouses. You may kiss the pretend-bride."

Zach held my hands and leaned forward to kiss my forehead, moved back to smile at me.

The chaplain huffed and rolled his eyes. "If you're gonna kiss her, you gotta do it right."

"But," he whispered, "Everyone's watching."

And then the Daughters started chanting and we both blushed harder than we ever had before. He looked so torn that I decided to do it for him. I put my hands on his shoulders and pulled him in, planting a kiss on his lips that freed him of indecision. He held me close and kissed back, and I wasn't sure how much longer I was willing to taste all the honey he'd eaten earlier. I started it, but he wasn't going to stop it, so I did that too.

Everyone whooped and hollered as August started a conga line with June. Rosaleen grabbed my shoulders and headed for them, looking over her shoulder to warn Zach, "You hurt my baby, I hurt you."

"Yes, ma'am!" he replied, taking a place behind Sugar-Girl.

After the food and praying to Mary, we were all tired and falling asleep in our seats, but no one wanted to go home. Everyone decided to spend the night in the living room while June went off to Neil's house. Zach slept on the far side, near a window, Otis and Sugar-Girl cuddled together, and everyone else spread out. Rosaleen laid next to me, and whispered, "Whatever you do, Lily, do not get pregnant. If you get pregnant, I'll give you the beating of a lifetime."

"But if I were pregnant you'd hurt the baby."

She gave me a face that said "Do not try to be sassy with me, you understand what I'm saying."

"I'm not going to get pregnant, Rosaleen. At least not until I get married. You know, for real."

"You better not. I don't know what I'd do."

I put a hand on her arm. "It'll be okay."

She pulled me close, and we fell asleep that way, her holding me, my arms wrapped around her. I breathed her in, the smell of sweat and honey and lemon grass calming me for sleep. It wasn't cold cream, but it sure was close.


End file.
